Replies to Forum ● Mar 18, 2014
Efforts to boost S’pore football and engage fans
“The FAS thanks Donovan Chee and Wong Kah Khoon for their feedback on Singapore football in their letters titled: “FAS, not FIFA should be promoting local football” (19 Feb) and “Where’s the ‘big idea’ to rejuvenate the S.League” (25 Feb) respectively.
With the proliferation of “Live” broadcasts and streaming of “Live” football matches on cable television and online platforms, fans now have an even wider and easier accessibility to international football leagues, creating fierce competition for fan support and viewership. The pressure on the S.League and Singapore football to fight for viewership is more intense than ever before.
Hence, there are ongoing efforts to introduce various new initiatives to engage fans, such as the introduction of marquee players and match statistics analysis to raise the quality of football in the League; introducing S.League Fantasy Football, engaging fans with video highlights and news reports on The Football Kaki app and on our Facebook page; and improving match-day experience with the introduction of club mascots, match-day programmes and clappers as well as finger food for our fans.
This season, S.League “Live” telecasts can be viewed on both MediaCorp’s Okto and StarHub Super Sports Arena channels, thereby reaching out to a wider audience. There has also been an increase in match attendances following these initiatives.
At the same time, we have introduced several new projects aimed to build a strong footballing foundation in Singapore and we have been working closely with various stakeholders and partners for various forms of support. For instance, FIFA has been very supportive of Singapore football through its endorsement of the recent GOAL project that involved the re-turfing of the pitch at Jalan Besar Stadium last year. As an ongoing effort to raise the standard of local football, we are always looking to send our players and coaches on overseas attachments to further upgrade their skills and expertise, whenever it is feasible. For example, coaches like Aide Iskandar and Saswadimata Dasuki were attached to the J.League and Newcastle respectively for coaching stints, and Ammirul Emmran went on a two-week training stint at Newcastle United Youth Academy. All these would not be possible without the financial support given by corporate sponsors and FIFA.
We are very grateful for the continued support of fans like Donovan and Kah Khoon who have stayed with us through the years and we always welcome your constructive feedback and recommendations.”
Alvin Tham
Assistant Director (Marketing and Corporate Communications)
Football Association of Singapore / S.League
